It is no secret that Social Media has impacted us as a society in a big way since it stormed to popularity with the younger generation. Fast forward 10 years and layer on other huge technological impacts that mobile connectivity, increased internet speeds and sophistication of smart devices have brought, and we can see why Social Media is now being seen as a potential threat to the very fabric of our society.

While Social Media as a concept is not inherently bad, the way in which it has captivated so many generations, to the point of obsession is now something that is being scrutinised by both technology and psychology experts, who are dealing day to day with the fall out of the fundamental changes in behaviour that we are now seeing trending.

What are some of the negative impacts that social media is having on us?

Experts are currently researching the impact that Social Media is having on different generations. Interestingly, the preliminary results that are coming out of some of these studies are showing both positive and negative impacts, which speaks to why we should look at the concept more holistically.

Depression and Anxiety

Many users of Social Media have reported an increase in the feelings of depression and anxiety and can attribute these feelings to the use of various social media platforms. In a world that is built on interaction, engagement and positive reinforcement, those of us who are not so popular may find it difficult to rationalise these feelings, especially when we are comparing ourselves to others on the platform.

While this is also true in the real world, these issues are compounded by the constant reminders, alerts, post pushes that social media platforms use to drive traffic and engagement.

This is so much the case, that recently social media giant, Instagram rolled out experiments in markets such as Australia that suppressed the quantifiable ability to compare ourselves to other users. This has sparked a hot debate amongst the user community, leaving many “influencers” feeling as though the work they have put into building their public image is now somewhat lessened in value due to the fact that other users cannot put a figure on how well liked they are. Interesting times ahead for Instagram, and we are excited to see how these changes could positively impact the user community as a whole.

Cyberbullying

Another very important topic to discuss is that of cyberbullying. The nature of the internet, and in some ways, social media, is that we as users have a barrier between us at the community we are a part of. Time has shown that this can have a two-sided effect. The term ‘keyboard warrior’ is one that we often see in the media. It relates to the phenomena of how people are more inclined to bully others behind the protection of a computer screen, rather than doing it face to face. We only need to look to any trending Facebook post to see a wide range of opinions on any given post or topic, and it is also easy to see that these opinions are much less filtered than you would expect to hear in polite conversation.

This is a very serious issue, as the bullying comments are compounded by the fact that they are delivered to an infinite audience of users, rather than one on one between two people. Whilst many steps have been taken to criminalise this type of behaviour, too often we see the devastating effects that cyberbullying can have on an individual.

Unrealistic Expectations

It cannot be denied, that with the rise in popularity of the “social media influencer” the expectations that are being perceived by other ‘everyday’ users of these platforms is somewhat skewed. That being said, it has always been the case that everyday people are affected by what they see, read and hear in other forms of media and social media is no different, it is just being seen on a much larger and more frequent scale.

Many studies are underway to determine the impact this is having on various generations, and the long-term effects that we might expect to see as young audiences mature into adulthood.

In any case, there is simply not enough information or evidence available at this time to accurately predict the impact, but we should be mindful that the potential effect is likely to be dramatic.

General Addiction

Like anything that makes us feel good, Social Media has the potential to be highly addictive and we are seeing the impacts of this on a large scale. Whether these positive feelings come from our posts and pictures being liked, shared and commented on, through to the overall sense of connectedness to a community, these platforms provide us with a sense of belonging. However, we are seeing more and more that, as with many other things in life, there is a point where interest turns to obsession, and for many people this has become a reality.

So where do you sit? Enthusiastic or Obsessed?

If you find yourself reaching for your phone compulsively to check your social media accounts, or are not able to see a notification come in without stopping what you are doing, or putting a pause on the people you are with, then it might be time to consider taking a break, or at least moderating the amount of time you are investing into your social media profiles.

Taking a break from anything we invest a large amount of time into, whether it is work, personal life, friends or even social media allows us to gain perspective and helps us understand the value that it plays in our lives. Whilst not all social media is bad, there is definitely the risk of taking it too far.

Bernie Kyne
Mortgage Consultant
0400141757
bernie.kyne@mortgage-express.com.au